Have you noticed the new futuristic boxes popping up around town? It’s not UFO debris, but our Scandinavian-designed newspaper racks. Metro has recently added to its presence in the Boston area with new newspaper racks, the new WKND magazine and an expanded distribution, all designed to surpass readers’ expectations about what they can look forward to from Metro.
“We have increased our circulation and signed a new agreement with the MBTA that will see us installing up to 125 new racks in the T system,” Associate Publisher Brian Cox said. “These racks will serve two main purposes – more effectively distributing papers to readers and increasing Metro’s brand exposure in the market.”
US Circulation Director Joseph Lauletta reinforced this point, adding that “Metro’s goal is to make the paper available to every working Bostonian traveling during peak hours.”
The new racks are noteworthy for their streamlined, futuristic design, which was developed by Decona, a Danish design studio that focuses on urban living.
“We’ve been working to increase the visibility of the rack for the commuters while still keeping it simple,” Decona CEO Michael Malberg said. Decona’s designs are known for their cool, modern aesthetic, evidenced by their recently completed benches and assorted “street furniture” along Copenhagen Bay’s waterfront.
“The new racks have been designed specifically for Boston subways,” Malberg added. “But simple, functional design also puts the focus back on the core purpose: Providing news for people living busy lives, exposing more people to the world around them.”
Metro has added much more than just racks as the company expands its reach in Boston. Besides the new WKND magazine, a variety of other Boston-specific titles have recently been developed by the publication.
“We want to continue to grow and promote our seasonal Arts Preview sections and monthly Education and Health Guides,” Cox cited as examples of how Metro’s Boston content has gotten more comprehensive. “We recently ran a Wedding Guide that was very successful, and we will be launching a series of Job Fairs next month.”
Editor-in-Chief Alek Korab underscored that point by emphasizing Metro’s relationship with its Boston readers. Metro reaches 156,000 daily readers in Boston, according to Nielsen Scarborough, an increase of 15 percent, year over year.
“We will never stop investing and innovating to make sure that Metro will be always perfectly suited to our Boston readers’ needs,” Korab said. “If young people read anything – it’s Metro.”
Metro has also added 17 street promoters to its team and a series of new high-end interior office racks to accommodate anyone looking to grab a paper.
“Already the most read daily newspaper in the Boston market, Metro wants to make its print edition readily available to all readers,” Distribution Manager Walter Zorkers said. “[This city] is a mecca for the young professionals that our advertisers seek to reach.”
Metro has been a part of the Boston media landscape since 2001 and has developed a consistent audience that gravitates toward its young, edgy content and reliable variety.
“We have a loyal readership that is growing every day, and we are so different from the traditional media outlets in the city,” Cox added. “Young people read Metro at levels that the traditional newspapers cannot compare to, and we want to continue to provide that to our readers and advertisers well into the future.”
